Whenever a star rises in the game of cricket, the first and foremost thing an analyst or a fan do is it to compare him with the great of the game. The latest star batsman to be compared in such fashion is Babar Azam of Pakistan. Speaking of the same, the legendary Younus Khan feels it is too early to compare Azam with Virat Kohli.
Kohli made his limited-overs debut in 2008, three years before he received his maiden Test cap in 2011. Babar, on the other hand, is six years younger than Kohli and made his debut for Pakistan in 2015, a time when the India captain was beginning to peak.
Virat Kohli is at the peak of his career – Younis Khan
The former Pakistan cricketer Younis Khan on Sunday said it is too early to compare Virat Kohli – who has already played for more than a decade, to Babar Azam – who has been around for half the time. He feels Babar needs to play at least five more years to be compared with Virat Kohli.
“You see, Kohli – who is now 31 and at the peak of his career – has been in international cricket for over a decade and has proved himself in all conditions. The 70 international centuries that he has scored is a testimony to his class and abilities,” Younis was quoted as saying by Gulf News.
“Babar, on the other hand, made his international debut barely five years back. He already has 16 centuries under his belt. It shows very good averages in both Tests and ODIs, but it will be unfair to start comparing the two right now. If you have to, compare Babar five years (from now) with the dominance that Kohli is showing in his game today,” he added.
With a gap of almost 300 international games, the fact that people mention Babar and Kohli in the same sentence may be a morale boost for the Pakistan batsman. But, Younis suggests for the comparisons to make sense, the world may have to wait a little longer.
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On the work front, Virat Kohli has last represented for India in the series against New Zealand before a rain washed-out game against South Africa. On the other hand, Babar Azam was given the captaincy to lead Pakistan in limited-overs.
